Request a means-tested assessment from your awarding body

The information on this page applies to UK or 'home' students and to non-UK EU students on an undergraduate medicine and dentristry course who are about to start an NHS-funded year.

Leeds Bursary entitlement

Your entitlement to a Leeds Bursary is based on your household income.

This is assessed by your Student Finance Award Body.

Depending upon your residency, your student finance Award Body may be:

You need to have a household income assessment undertaken and verified by your Award Body in order to be considered for a Leeds Bursary award.

If your academic year is funded by the NHS, your awarding body will not financially assess you. This is because the amount of funding you receive in NHS-funded years is not dependent on your household income.

Instead, the University will use the household income assessment your Student Finance awarding body carried out the previous academic year.

If your household income has been assessed

If you progress from a non-NHS funded to an NHS-funded year you will still receive the Leeds Bursary if you qualified in the previous year and continue to meet the eligbility criteria.

You will still need to submit a Student Finance application for the years you are being funded by the NHS.

If your household income has not been assessed

You can request for your Student Finance awarding body to conduct a household income assessment if:

You were not financially assessed in the previous academic year (and did not receive a Leeds Bursary award as a result of that).
Your household income has fallen compared to the previous academic year.

If a household income assessment exists for both the previous and the current academic year, the University will use the lower of the two values to determine your Leeds Bursary entitlement.

Request a financial assessment from your Award Body in an NHS-funded year

Student Finance England

Complete and return an Applying for student finance based on household income form to Student Finance England.
Important: You should also include a covering letter (including your SFE Customer Reference Number) saying that you are requesting a household income assessment in order for your University to determine your eligibility for a Higher Education Bursary. You can use our example covering letter.
Unless you are an independent student, your parent(s) or partner should also return a completed PFF2 form to Student Finance England. You can download this form here (for 2023/24), or here (for 2024/25).

Student Finance Wales

Return a completed PFF2 form to Student Finance Wales.
You should include a covering letter (including your SFW Customer Reference Number) saying that you are requesting a household income assessment in order for your University to determine your eligibility for a Higher Education Bursary. You can use our example covering letter.

Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Household income information can be supplied via your online Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) account.

Contact the Student Awards Agency for Scotland if you need any support.

Student Finance Northern Ireland

Return a completed PFF2 form to Student Finance Northern Ireland. You can find it in Form Finder on the Student Finance Northern Ireland website.
You should include a covering letter (including your SFNI Customer Reference Number) saying that you are requesting a household income assessment in order for your University to determine your eligibility for a Higher Education Bursary. You can use our example covering letter.

Example Covering Letter for students to use when contacting their awarding body

Dear Student Finance [England/Wales/Northern Ireland – delete as appropriate]

Re: [Your Name]
Customer Reference Number: [Your 11-digit customer reference number]

I am writing to request a household income assessment in order that my host university may be able to determine my eligibility for a Higher Education bursary.
I am enclosing the required form(s).

Please contact me if you require any further information.

Yours sincerely,